Taliban oppose Turkey's proposal to guard Kabul airport, says must leave Afghanistan as per 2020 deal
Jun 12, 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan], June 12 : Taliban on Friday opposed Turkey's proposal to guard Kabul airport and said that Ankara must leave Afghanistan as per the 2020 deal.
Suhail Shaheen, a spokesperson to the Taliban expressed his opposition to Turkey's proposal to safeguard the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul after the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) troops' withdrawal, reported The Khaama Press Agency.
Previously Turkey has said it will protect the Kabul airport with 500 soldiers if the NATO allies provide financial, logistical, and political supports to them.
Turkey was interested in taking control of Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai International Airport if NATO allies permit.
Khaama Press reported that Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said that Turkish forces have agreed to take the control of the Hamid Karzai International Airport if allies provide support.
"500 Turkish forces in Afghanistan will take the control and responsibility of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, if financial, logistic and political support is provided by the allies," Akar said in a meeting with its NATO allies.
The US, other countries, and international agencies operating in Afghanistan are concerned about the safe evacuation of its personnel if the situation gets worse post-US withdrawal from Afghanistan, reported The Khaama Press Agency.
The US and NATO forces are scheduled to take out troops from Afghanistan before September 11, 2021, which is the 20th anniversary of the US towers attack by Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda.
